Sequoyah Elementary will host a Rachel’s Challenge presentation at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the cafeteria.

Rachel’s Challenge is a national organization that presents “a series of student-empowering programs and strategies that equip students and adults to combat bullying by creating a culture of kindness and compassion,” Ashley Snellenberger, Russellville School District communication coordinator, said in a news release.

The organization’s programs are based on the writings and life of Rachel Scott, who was the first student killed in the shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. Scott was 17 years old when she died.

A few weeks after the shooting, Darrell Scott — Rachel’s father — spoke to a Congressional House Judiciary Committee about school violence. Snellenberger said his speech has been “widely read on the Internet.”

Shortly after that speech, he founded the violence-abatement program, Rachel’s Challenge. More than 2.5 million students across the country participate in the challenge annually.

The event is free and open to the public.

Because of the serious nature of the content discussed at the event, the district recommends students in the fifth grade or younger do not attend. The Junior Auxiliary Club of Russellville will provide childcare during the presentation so parents with young children may attend.